Tank gauge



V. WAN EE TANK GAUGE Aug. 7, 1934.

Filed Aug. 4. 1930 1.... /rlV ld-isis!! 'Patented Aug. 7, 1934 itorjwane@ Garden This inventionl relates to gauges fof the-*type installedon tanks Afor conveniently measuring the-i depth of the contentsof thetanks.'A i

An object of the invention is-to "save time -in lfgauging the contentsof tanksri 'Another object is to obvi te'mistakes in gauging thatmightlarise from failure ofthe gaugerto lower the gauging tape to thebottom of the tank;-

or *lowering Athe tape zso that aport'on of `Ait.v lies'- adjust thegauge tape*- to any depth within thev tank,Whether it beto the bottom ofthe tank or to some higher level. f 15 Another" object is to facilitateYr'ea'dingand cleaning of the tape.

Another object 1s tapes andpreventing loss thereof.

"Another object is to eliminate the necessity-of y Fig 4,*-theouterfedge portions of the wall of the 42.0.c`arrying ajgaugelfrom'tankto'tank: if l Another object is" to make more a Another object `is tomak the gauging-isf'tanksi` e f ""7 dependent dustmentontheshaft 6, thatis tol aclean operation.` 1- 1252 Other objects and advantages willappear in the subjoined `detailed descrption.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a tank gauge congstructed in accordance withthe provisions of this l invention.

Fig. 2 `is a vertical view, partly in section, on the line indicated by2-2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the tank gauge, a Bportion of thesupport being broken away and the plane of section being indicated bythe line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental elevation from the left of Fig. 1, a portionbeing in section on a plane 4Q indicated by the line 44, Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, a housing or support 5 is adapted to beinstalled on the roof or top of a tank, which is fragmentarily indicatedin dotted lines in Fig. 1 at A. The support 5 is provided {15J/Vith ashaft 6 turned by a crank 7 which may be mounted on an angular neck onthe shaft. The shaft 6 rotates in a bearing 8 provided in a case 9 thatconstitutes the upper portion of the support 5. GQ?. Mounted on theshaft 6 and rotated by said shaft are inner` and outer drums 1G, 11which are thus concentric. Fixed to the inner drum 10 and Wound thereonis a measuring tape 12 which may be an ordinary steel tape of a typethat is well '55 i"known in the art relating to surveying. The tape12--is2held against-lateral displacement from the 1-`A21i`ange14ofthe"drum `10 extends past the drum-11 so as to preventvlateral displacement of whatever portionof the tape-12 may be wound onthe drum 111, as will be made clear hereinafter.' The free end of thetape 12 carries a weight orv plumb-#bob 15. Y

'LThe' tape 12 preferably passes between rollers Y 1`6 that arerotatablymounted in the support 5` `Anotherobject is to make it possibleto preimmediatelybelow thecase 9, which case is provided initsbottom'portionwith an opening 17 through which-the `tape passes; Thehousing is provided-in oneas'ide with an opening 18 through Vwhichthefgrad'uations on the tape may be seen A and readr by the'gauge'r."The graduations on the tominimizethe breaking'of tape areind-ioatedlat'19.

i The tape passes fromrthe inner drum through a slot 20m-the outer drum,as clearly shown-in slot 26 Vpre'er'ably being -rounded as indicated Theinner *and outer drums are capable of insay, the 4inner drum is securedto the shaft 6 by walnut-221, threaded: on the shaft Sand a shoulder 23on said shaft, and the outer drum is secured by a nut 24 also threadedto the shaft 6. The nut 22 bears against the inner face of the drumflange 14 and the shoulder 23 bears against the outer face of saidfiange 14. The nut 24 bears against the outer face of the iiange 13.

As a preliminary to using the invention described above, the nut 24 willbe loosened to permit circumferential adjustment of the outer drum withrespect to the inner drum, and the shaft 6 will then be turnedin adirection to unreel the tape from the inner drum to a sufcient extent topermit of the weight 15 just touching the bottom of the tankrA, or anyother desired level, when the slot is approximately in its lowermostposition, which position would naturally occur because the drum 11 is atthis time loose on the shaft 6 and the pull of Vthe tape 12 willnaturally be vertical. If there be any bottom sediment in the tank, thetape 19 may be allowed to unreel until the lower end of the weight 15strikes the bottom sediment.

After the vweight 15 has reached the desired level, whether it be theactual bottom of the tank, the upper surface of the bottom sediment, orsome other level, the shaft 6 will be held against turning and the nut24 will be tightened, thus clamping the outer drum 11 against the drum10. One such adjustment of the length of the tape will suffice at thetime the gauge is installed on the tank, though subsequent adjustmentsmay be made if it be desired to allow for bottom sediment.

It will now be seen that if the shaft 6 be turned in either direction,the tape will no longer be paid-out but will be reeled-in or wound uponthe outer drum 11. The crank, then, will be operated in either directionto wind-up the tape, which will be left in this condition until it isdesired to gauge the tank. k

A suitable means is provided to lock the shaft 6 against rotation as,otherwise, the weight of the tape 12 and the weight 15 would cause thedrum 1l to turn, thus unwinding the tape. This locking means, in thisinstance, is mounted in the case 9 and comprises a slide 25 providedwith a jaw 26 which is adapted, when the slide 25 is moved to itsinnermost position, to embrace the shoulder 23, which has angularlydisposed edges, thus to prevent rotation of said shoulder and,consequently, rotation of the shaft and drums.

The slide 25 is provided with a longitudinally ex tending slot 27through which passes a screw 28 secured to the case 9. Y,The slide 25 isprovided with a knob 29, by which the slide 25 is conveniently operatedfrom the outside of the case, the stem 30 of the knob passing through aslot 31 in the case.

Assuming, then, that the tape has beenvadjusted,A

as above described, and that at some subsequent period of time thegauger comes tothe tank to gauge the contents thereof, he will operatethe crank '7 so as to unreel the tape from the drum 11 and, after thetape has been thus unreeled, to again reel up the tape on the outerdrum. Thus l the crank 7 will be turned continuously so as to lower thetape 12 until the weight 15 reaches the level predetermined for it andto theniwindv-up the unwetted portion of the tape.Y l

The gauger looks through the opening v18 lat -the tape as it is beingwound, and readsoi the depth of the liquid as indicated onthe tape bytheY height of the Wet portion thereof. After he has made the reading,he willfully Wind thetape and move the slide 25 into position to lockthe shaft against rotation.

As the wet portion of the tape passes between the rollers 16, saidrollers aid in wiping the liquid from the tape.

One use to which this gauge is well adapted is the gauging of the depthof oil in oil storage tanks.

I claim:

1. A fluid level gauging device, including a support, a Winding meansoperatively mounted therein, a weighted gauging tape wound on thewinding means, and means associated with the Winding means operable foradjusting the winding means, to allow a predetermined length of tape tobe unwound and then re-Wound by a continuous operation of the windingmeans in one direction.

2. A tank gauge comprising two drums, one inside of the other, means forsecuring the drums for rotation in unison, the outer drum beingprovided'with a slot, a tape secured to the inner drum and passingthrough the slot, and adapted to be wound on the outer drum, saidsecuring means enabling relative circumferential adjustment of saiddrums, and means to rotate the drums for unwinding andthen rewinding thetape upon the outer ofsaid drums.

3. A tank gauge comprising two drums, a shaft, both of said drums beingmounted on said shaft, one inside of the other, the outer drum being provided with a slot, a tape secured to the inner drum and passing throughthe slot to be wound on the outer drum, and means for securing the drumson said shaft in diierent circumferentially adjusted positions withrespect to each other to regulate the length of tape that can be run oflfrom the outer drum.

@-4. A tank gauge comprising two drums, a shaft, both of said drumsbeing mounted on said shaft, one inside Vof the other, the outer drumbeing provided with a slot, a tape secured to the inner drum and passingthrough the slot, and securing means corresponding to the outer drumenabling the same to be loosened to allow it to rotate independently ofthe other drum and secured in an adjusted position, to regulate theVlength of tape that can be run off from the outer drum.

VICTOR WANEE.

